Meaning & use
chow
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountableinformalslang
Food, especially a meal, in casual speech.
Grammar: Uncountable: the chow was good, not a chow.
Patterns
- chow time
- get some chow
The chow at the camp was plain but filling.
Let's get some chow before the movie starts.
Everyone lined up for chow after the long hike.
verbphrasal verbinformalslang
To eat, usually in the phrase chow down, with great enthusiasm.
Grammar: Mostly used as chow down; sometimes followed by on: chow down on pizza.
Patterns
- chow down
- chow down on something
The kids chowed down on pizza the moment it arrived.
After the game, the team chowed down at a local diner.
We chowed on sandwiches by the river.
nouncountable
A sturdy dog breed with thick fur and a blue-black tongue, also called a chow chow.
Grammar: Countable: a chow, two chows.
Patterns
- a chow chow
The neighbors have a fluffy chow with a dark tongue.
A chow can be wary of strangers.
She adopted a red chow from the shelter.
Word forms
| third person singular | chows |
|---|---|
| past tense | chowed |
| past participle | chowed |
| -ing form | chowing |
| plural | chows |
Common combinations
- chow down
- Come on, let's chow down before it gets cold.
- chow time
- It's chow time, so wash your hands.
- camp chow
- The camp chow was mostly beans and bread.
- grab some chow
- Let's grab some chow on the way home.
- mess hall chow
- The soldiers complained about mess hall chow.
Synonyms and how they differ
- grub
- Grub is also slang for food, but it often sounds a bit rough or humorous, while chow suggests a meal being served.
- food
- Food is the neutral everyday word, whereas chow is casual and informal.
- eats
- Eats is plural slang for food and drink on offer, especially at parties.
- tuck
- Tuck is a British slang word for sweets and snacks, narrower than chow.
Word family
- chow chow noun
- the dog breed
- chowhound noun
- an informal word for a keen eater
Commonly confused: chow or ciao? chow or chew?
chow vs ciao
Ciao is an Italian greeting meaning hello or goodbye; it sounds similar to chow but means something else.
chow vs chew
Chew means to bite food with the teeth; chow is the food or the act of eating it eagerly.
Practice
Which word could replace chow in the sentence: The chow at the camp was plain but filling?
Choose one answer.
Chow is informal for food, and food is the only option that can be plain but filling. The others cannot be eaten.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “chow”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.